AUBURN, Alabama -- Auburn basketball coach Tony Barbee's task this season is to mesh a group of six newcomers and the remaining holdovers from last year's team into a cohesive unit that can play the pressure style Barbee wants to install.

Auburn's renovated roster hasn't faced an opponent this season -- the Tigers open exhibition play against Victory University on Tuesday -- but the new faces made their public debut in White's 38-36 victory over the Blue team in Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage.

Barbee split the team mostly into newcomers (White) vs. holdovers (Blue), although junior-college transfer Sharief Adamu started with the Blue squad.

For the most part, the Tigers held off on a full press in the scrimmage, although Barbee did pick and choose his spots to extend pressure.

On the other hand, Auburn showed an improved offensive ability and a faster pace with the ball, producing 44.6 percent shooting from the field and 74 combined points in one half of play.

Now that SEC Media Day has come and gone and Auburn has debuted its new-look roster, it seems like a good time to take a closer look at the Tigers, broken down with observations on all 12 scholarship players.

RETURNERS

FRANKIE SULLIVAN, G, 6-1, 206, SR.

Barbee's take: "Frankie's finally back. You know, last year, coming off that type of knee injury, you're only going to play at 80, 85 percent. It's the second year you get back to 100 percent. I don't know the last time he missed a shot in practice. He's playing really, really well."

First impression: Sullivan looks more explosive. In one sequence Saturday, he out-jumped a post player for a rebound, drove the length of the floor and made a twisting layup, and he had two steals, although he was a little inconsistent shooting, making 3-of-9 attempts.

ROB CHUBB, C, 6-10, 255, SR.

Barbee's take: "He's playing with a senior's confidence. Now at 255 pounds, he looks different, and he's playing different."

First impression: Chubb was physical and active in Saturday's scrimmage, leading the Blue team with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Chubb knocked down a couple of mid-range jumpers, but he still has to display softer touch around the basket despite making 5-of-9.

ALLEN PAYNE, F, 6-6, 215, JR.

Barbee's take: "Allen Payne was having a great sophomore year until he got injured last year (Payne was lost for the season late). He's a little undersized, but he gives us a little more versatility if we want to go a little smaller."

First impression: A hard-working, pressure-oriented defender, Payne's scoring is mostly created off of cutting to the basket and jumpers off of teammate's penetration, but he's a valuable defender in Barbee's pressure system.

NOEL JOHNSON, G/F, 6-6, 205, SR.

Barbee's take: "He's taken on more of a leadership role this season. You can see him getting on the wings when they need it."

First impression: With lockdown defender Allen Payne and athletic freshman Shaquille Johnson at small forward, Johnson faces a heavy battle for playing time. He's a streaky shooter from 3-point range, and he's still not a force off the dribble.

JOSH WALLACE, PG, 5-10, 170, SR.

Barbee's take: "There's not a whole lot of teams that have a waterbug senior, physical, fast, pesky point guard like Josh Wallace."

First impression: Wallace, who earned a scholarship this season, continues to be a pesky defender, especially on the ball, where his quickness and relentless pressure can give opposing point guards fits. On offense, he's still limited, a player who struggles from the outside and is too small to finish consistently inside.

NEWCOMERS

ASAUHN DIXON-TATUM, C, 7-0, 230, JR.

Barbee's take: "Behind Rob Chubb, and the possibility they can play together, he's a legit 7-footer who led junior college nationally in blocked shots. ... He's going to bring us a different defensive presence, but offensively, he's got some skills."

First impression: Dixon-Tatum may struggle with foul trouble -- four fouls in 20 minutes Saturday -- but he also showed better-than-expected offensive ability, knocking down a jump hook and a 15-footer from the outside, as well as a rebounding presence helped by his height. He needs to learn to play physical basketball without fouling, and his post moves are still raw.

SHARIEF ADAMU, F, 6-8, 235, JR.

Barbee's take: "He can stretch the floor with his ability to shoot it, but unlike Kenny (Gabriel), he's got power-forward size. ... Sharief, being 6-8, 235 pounds, not only can he stretch the floor and do some things off the dribble, he can also defend and rebound that position.

First impression: Adamu was active on the boards and defensively in Saturday's scrimmage, but he struggled at times to finish around the basket and never got a chance to take one of those jumpers.

JORDON GRANGER, F, 6-8, 215, FR.

Barbee's take: "He's playing well. He's put on some weight, having spent the summer with us, and he'll give us some depth on the front line."

First impression: Granger's lack of bulk creates some problems clearing out space on the glass, but he obviously has some offensive ability, knocking down a 3-pointer and a nice fadeaway jumper. If he can learn to play more physical, Granger will earn more time.

SHAQUILLE JOHNSON, G/F, 6-5, 210, FR.

Barbee's take: "He's a human highlight film. I've been around some guys in my UTEP days, Memphis days, that every day in practice they do something that doesn't seem humanly possible, and Shaquille does that. He's that type of athlete."

First impression: Johnson has some serious springs, but he's also got a smooth shot from the outside, knocking down a 20-footer and a 3-pointer in addition to getting to the free-throw line. He finished with 10 points Saturday, and on defense, his length and athleticism could create some problems for opponents.

First impression: Price might be the outside shooter Auburn's been missing. He knocked down all four attempts on Saturday, buried three 3-pointers and showed an ability to use his size to create space with the ball in his hands. A little heavy, Price has to be quicker on the perimeter defensively.

BRIAN GREENE JR., G, 6-3, 210, FR.

Barbee's take: "He's a physical, strong, athletic point guard who can run a team, who can shoot the ball, can finish at the rim."

First impression: Physically, Greene has an SEC-ready body, and he's obviously got the physical traits to run the point, but he was frustrated in Saturday's scrimmage by the pressure of Wallace, who forced a few turnovers and got Greene playing a little too fast. On the other hand, Greene also showed solid vision, making a couple of nice feeds off of penetration.

K.T. HARRELL, G, 6-4, 215, JR.

Barbee's take: "Even though K.T. Harrell cannot play this year, he has had a great summer," Barbee said. "He is going to help our team this year by elevating the level of practice every day."

First impression: Harrell, who will not play this season as he sits out after transferring from Virginia, saw fewer minutes than the rest in Saturday's scrimmage, but he's obviously got some shooting ability from the outside. What he has to develop during this transfer year is more explosiveness of the dribble.